Seattle GM: Likely Francis (UPD: Francis Named GM 7/18/19)

[gstommylee]

Cross Ken Holland off the list
https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1125058602509774850

 

[sigma six]

Totally fine with that.

 

[SoldiersOfFilth]

Cross Ken Holland off the list
https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1125058602509774850

oh thank god. last thing we need is a member of the "old boys club" or whatever it's called coming in and immediately trying to form a team around grit instead of talent.

 

[Interior Cascadian]

I would add Sean Burke to my list of candidates too. He was the assistant to the general manager and Coyotes' goaltending coach, a professional scout for Montreal, and most recently the GM of Canada’s 2018 Olympic team. There are rumors that his name is being floated around as a GM candidate for teams looking for a change.

 

[LadyStanley]

Paywall.

Signs are pointing to GM hire this year which would allow 2 years before expansion draft.

 

[StreetHawk]

Paywall.

Signs are pointing to GM hire this year which would allow 2 years before expansion draft.

Unless they are truly waiting for someone in particular is the market for their gm going to be better in 2020? Already seen McCrimmon come off the market.

Ideally more time to put together the scouting staff would be beneficial. Depends on which candidates are left and whether they truly have their target.

 

[LadyStanley]

Wonder what their planned timing is vs what will actually happen.

 

[gstommylee]

Sounds like they are gonna take their time. With 3 of the possibilities already out, they are not in any hurry to hire one.

 

[LadyStanley]

But perhaps sooner is better. Paywall.

 

[StreetHawk]

But perhaps sooner is better. Paywall.

Sooner is preferable in that it gives the GM more time to assemble the staff. Maybe there are people he wants but they are still under contract to another organization for another year. So, maybe some of those people opt to not extend with their current club so that they can then sign on with Seattle in 2020. But, if you wait until 2020 to hire the same GM then some of those people might have signed extensions with their current club.

So, it really gives the GM more time to be selective about the team he is putting together. Not in such a mad rush to assemble the scouts and everyone in a span of a couple of months.

 

[gstommylee]

But perhaps sooner is better. Paywall.

Vegas had a year to get everything together Seattle has time to look around if the ones they original wanted are no longer available.

 

[cowboy82nd]

This could be one of those cases where the NHL has a say in what the GM would be for Seattle. We need to be successful right out of the gate. I believe Kelly McCrimmon could be a possibility. He's assist GM for Vegas.

Why? The owner or owners will have a say in who the GM is. The NHL should and would stay out of it,

 

[LadyStanley]

Still to see if there are any front office changes this summer (that result in new folks available). NYR AGM left after Sather stepped aside (and JD came in).

 

[FMichael]

oh thank god. last thing we need is a member of the "old boys club" or whatever it's called coming in and immediately trying to form a team around grit instead of talent.

Refresh my memory...Since when has Holland preferred 'grit' over 'talent'?

 

[48g90a138pts]

Refresh my memory...Since when has Holland preferred 'grit' over 'talent'?

When I read that I had the feeling he's mistaken Holland for Peter Chiarelli. Idk

 

[Constable]

Refresh my memory...Since when has Holland preferred 'grit' over 'talent'?

Are you forgetting the massive multi-year contracts given to such notable offensive threats as Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Danny Dekeyser, and (thankfully expiring soon) Johnathan Ericsson? Especially the latter three.

Anyways, on the topic of the thread, I'd be all over getting Ron Hextall. Repeating Vegas is extremely unlikely, so it's better to bunker down and enter with the mindset of this being a multi-year project with a heavy focus on prospects and young talent. Hextall has shown he can take a prospect pool that has absolutely nothing in it and turn it into a top-5 pool in the league, and while he does tend to stick with a coach, this is not an issue for a rebuilding team. It's better to have a locker room that is great while sucking rather than being a desolate room.

If Hextall does not want the spot or his interview goes south, the next candidates I'd seriously consider would be Sean Burke or Trevor Timmins. I'd want both of these for the same reason as Hextall, to build an elite prospect pool to compete in the future with. TT also is currently a(n) AGM for Montreal, so he would have a few years experience before being hired as well, it wouldn't be a trial by fire.

Finally, I'd be cool with Gillis, if only because he seems to have actively made an attempt to become a modern-style GM as well as learn to embrace analytics as a tool.

 

[supsens]

Would be so nice if a young franchise didn't bring in an old hand like Hextall, Holland, Bowman, etc. Be forward-thinking and find the next up and coming GM who embraces analytics and can grow with the franchise and be there 10+ years.

They get one shot at building a team, they need someone to teach them how to do things, they are not looking for the next guy that might be a good GM, analytics are great and all but the GM has a lot of negotiating to do and analytics do not tell the story all that well, team style of play, who you play with and usage can change the numbers in a hurry

 

[LadyStanley]

Resetting the market: What's next for Seattle's GM search?

Paywall. Craig Custances looks at some potential candidates, from CBJ's Zito to Gillis and more.

 

[Rarename91]

Ron hextall?

 

[StreetHawk]

Resetting the market: What's next for Seattle's GM search?

Paywall. Craig Custances looks at some potential candidates, from CBJ's Zito to Gillis and more.

They should be able to hire someone off a current staff come late June after the draft if that is their target. Unless there is a succession plan in place for that team like in NYR with Sather and Gorton.

Is Zito going to take over for Jarmo in the very near future? There’s Futa in LA who is behind Blake. Don’t see the current GM getting replaced.

Gillis if he’s the guy they can get him any time.

Unless the target is a current GM who might get fired or replaced who else will be available?

 

[Del Preston]

 

[Soundgarden]

Whew, almost thought that said Brian Burke for a minute.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Gillis has stated he’d prefer to be in a President role rather than GM.

He has a lot of ideas on how he wants to structure an organization from top to bottom beyond just roster construction.

In my opinion he’d be a great hire, he’s extremely intelligent and is very good at looking at the big picture.

Maybe he’d accept a President/GM dual role.

 

[gstommylee]

Gillis has stated he’d prefer to be in a President role rather than GM.

He has a lot of ideas on how he wants to structure an organization from top to bottom beyond just roster construction.

In my opinion he’d be a great hire, he’s extremely intelligent and is very good at looking at the big picture.

Maybe he’d accept a President/GM dual role.

Tod Leiweke is CEO/President

 

[SillyRabbit]

Tod Leiweke is CEO/President

Oops thought he was just CEO.

Not sure if Gillis would be okay with just being only a GM, he might not be the guy then.